The Absence of Darkness
by Eunice Branca
Summary: When Yami's memories are restored, how will Yugi cope with his loss?


The Absence of Darkness 

Disclaimer:  I don't own YuGiOh!

Author's Note:  This story may prove to be a bit confusing, so I apologize in advance for any perplexity.  This is a one-shot AU in which we deal with the fact that eventually Yami's memories will be restored, and he will once again bear the responsibilities of the Pharaoh.  And when this happens, what will become of Yugi?

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Yugi looked down at where the Millennium Puzzle still rested on his chest.  It felt so light and cold without the spirit within, not to mention the absence of his other self in his own mind.  Although it had been only seconds since Yami had uncovered his memories and been released from the confines of the Puzzle, Yugi felt the weight of his terrible loss as if he'd carried the burden for years.

            He had never realized how much he relied on his other self.  Would he still be able to maintain his friendships with Joey and the others?  After all, before the spirit came along, he had no friends and was often bullied by kids at school.  Would he still be able to hold his own in a duel?  Or would someone come along and claim his title as King of Games?

            But much worse than that, Yugi felt so incomplete now.  He had grown accustomed to the presence of Yami in his mind, not just comfortable with it, but he rather adored the feeling of never being alone.  And he loved his Yami.  The darkness to his light.  Yami was fun to be around, even if he couldn't physically touch him with his hands like he could his other friends.  He already missed the dark sense of humor the spirit held, and the way he made Yugi feel as if he could accomplish anything, as if the world were his alone.

            Yugi felt tears well up in his eyes as he remembered his last moments with the former Pharaoh.  It had been almost magical, the way Yami's spirit form materialized in front of him like colorful vapors.  Although their mind link was already broken, Yugi could read the words that Yami wanted to say on his face.  The normally lucid spirit looked as though his heart too would be breaking, if only he'd had one.   

            "I'm going to miss you so much, Yami," Yugi choked out through tear-filled sobs.  "I don't know what I'm going to do without you."

            Yami's face held as much pain as Yugi felt as the vapors slowly swirled away from him.  "No, don't go!" Yugi cried as he lunged forward into the space where the spirit had been.  He threw his arms outward and grasped at nothing, falling to the cold ground beneath him.

            Yugi laid like that on the floor for quite some time, determined to think of how rich his life had become since Yami had entered his mind, instead of how deathly miserable he would be without him.

            Slowly climbing to his feet, Yugi wiped the tears that stained his cheeks away with his sleeve and prepared to face the rest of his life with only half a soul.  Turning toward the direction he believed to be home, he realized that already he regretted having relied on Yami so much.  He had no idea which way he had come to get there.

            Looking up to the sky, Yugi wondered where Yami was at that moment.  He wondered if he too was feeling lonely, if Yami missed Yugi as badly as he did Yami.   He also wondered if wherever Yami was, if he even remembered Yugi.  He had lost all his memories of one lifetime, so why not another?  For some reason this thought tore Yugi almost to the breaking point.  He couldn't bear the idea of someone he cared so deeply for not even knowing he'd ever existed.  These thoughts brought on another bout of tears, and although Yugi tried to walk on he found that he couldn't see where he was going anymore.  

            He sat down on the ground and continued to think of Yami.  He could almost hear his voice in his head as though he'd never left.

            "Don't cry, little one," he could hear Yami say.  

            Yugi knew that these words were exactly what Yami would say to him if he were there.  The tears were coming so greatly now that he was seeing things in addition to hearing them.  He could see Yami's figure in the shadows, coming toward him through his tears.

            "Great," Yugi thought aloud.  "Now I'm going to be hallucinating that Yami's in every corner.  Fabulous."

            Suddenly he felt a strange yet oddly familiar hand on his shoulder.  Looking up through wet eyes he saw a form in front of him that looked so familiar, even though he had never really seen it before.  Yugi drew in a sharp breath as he looked from the solid hand that was still firmly yet tenderly holding him, to the smiling eyes that he so longed to see in front of him.

            Unable to speak, Yugi threw himself for the first time ever into his dark half's arms, feeling warm in the other's comforting embrace.  His tears flowed now more than ever, but for a much happier reason.

            "How?"  This was the only word Yugi was able to utter when he had finally convinced himself that this wasn't all a dream.

            "No one so pure and innocent should ever be so unhappy, little one.  We've both carried the weight of the world on our shoulders, and for this, we have been rewarded."  Yami gathered the smaller boy even deeper into his grasp, and muttered something so quietly that even Yugi could not hear it.

            "We are two souls destined to be together, and in our thousand lifetimes, we shall never be separated for long."

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End file.
